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THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 -- MIDNIGHT JUNE 6 ack 20/6/58
What is your full name? Ronald. Herbert. Dudley. Allen
What is your present address? 16, Killieser Avenue, Streatham Hill. London. S.W.2.
Telephone number: Tulse Hill 2668
What was your unit, division, corps? 73rd L.A.A. Regt. R.A. 3rd Division. 1st Corps.
Where did you land and at what time? Ouistam. (left flank) Approx 8-30 am 6th June I understand that we were the first Artillery to land our Bofors [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] were mounted on Crusader Tanks.
What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Gunner. 32 yrs
Were you married at that time? Yes
What is your wife's name? Rose
Did you nave any children at that time? 1. Son
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion ? [crossed out] We were told [end crossed out] We un[inserted]d[end inserted]erstood that we taking part approx 6 mnths before
What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time? We were held up in Portsmouth Harbour for 48 hrs. owing to rough weather. I remember distinctly the service held on our Tank landing barge before departure , also the [inserted]same[end inserted] sounds from other craft coming over the water. The weather was rough for most of the crossing, , but I slept nearly all the time , until just before daybreak.
Were there any rumours aboard ship? (Some people remember hearing that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in.) We [crossed out] are [end crossed out] were told by an officer on the craft that there would be heavy casualties.
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No
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Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? One or two friends were wounded, and were taken back to England on the landing craft which brought us over.
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No
Were you wounded? No
How were you wounded? --- ---
Do you remember what it was like -- that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? --------
Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed amusing at the time? Or anything unexpected or outof-place? A Frenchman running about on the beachs amongst all the troops, wearing what looked like a firemans' helmet in brass.
One of the things that I remember most of all, is seeing one of the assault troops who had been wounded in his back, lying on his side on the edge of the road , READING A BOOK.
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? See above.
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In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly strange or stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either?
Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours (midnight 5 June to midnight 6 June) either as infantry, glider or airborne troops, whom we should write to?
What do you do now? Cashier. Linoleum Manufacturers.
Please let us have this questionnaire as soon as possible, so that we can include your experiences in the book. We hope that you will continue your story on separate sheets if we have not left sufficient room. Full acknowledgement will be given in a chapter called "Where They Are Now."
Cornelius Ryan Joan O. Isaacs The Reader's Digest
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16, Killiesier Av. Streatham Hill S.W.L. 1st June 1958
QS. 4/6/58 4JUN1958
Dear Sir I have seen your request for anyone who was in the June 6th - D Day landings. I was landed on 6th June about 8-30 am on Ouistreham Beach with the 73rd L.A.A. Regt (Bofors). Any further information gladly given.
Yours faithfully R.H. Allen